Category: Our Interview Process

After our lunch at 328 Katong Laksa (Address: 51 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428770), we took a walk to our first destination: Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs

When we were near, we noticed a few groups there, waiting to interview the boss of the shop. After some discussion, we decided to hang around the area, specifically at the 328 Katong Laksa main branch at 216 E Coast Road which was around the corner (literally!)

While waiting, we discussed further on whether we should interview the customers of 328 Katong Laksa, which was somewhat empty at that time (as the peak hour was ending). As we ‘debated’ on whether we should ask the boss if we could do so and if it was logical, another SPICE group from 110 walked by. We asked the 110 group for their opinions, and they said that asking the boss for permission would not be logical when we were interviewing the customers. Just when we explained to them that we were there because we wanted to kill time, they also told us that they were intending to interview the boss of Soon Soon Huat!

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The 110 group said that they also intended to interview the boss of 328 Katong Laksa, but our group wanted to interview both the boss and the customers, and both groups discussed on a joint interview, the boss as our interviewer, to save time.

Right at that moment, the boss came out of the shop, reminding us to gather and discuss at a corner if we weren’t eating there. The perfect moment to request for the interview!

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We conducted the joint interview with the friendly boss of 328 Katong Laksa, successfully ending our first interview on a good note. 😀

Later, both groups walked together, heading over to Soon Soon Huat together. Lucky for us, there weren’t any groups conducting the interview with the boss!

Before that, we heard that the boss had accepted at least 3 interviews already! We decided to give her a break while we sat in the store. After a while, she noticed that we were there to request an interview, and kindly accepted it.

Once again, both groups had a joint interview. During our interview, the boss only allowed us to voice record our interview, but it was alright! We were grateful that she had accepted the interview request. The boss was very friendly and was very patient with us, voicing out her opinions very honestly with a slight tone of tiredness in her voice.

After the interview, we thanked her for it, which concluded our group’s interview sessions! We didn’t forget to say our goodbyes to the 110 group!

Right before we left, we made sure to repay the boss by buying some curry puffs which we all enjoyed! One of our group members had bought 6 of them (one was $1.70) and everyone awed at her filial act (she was buying them for her family). We awed even more when one of the staff kindly gave her a freebie – a green bean pastry – to show his gratitude.

It was of no surprise that we were all nervous and anxious on how to start of the interviews at first as none of us had done it before, but the feeling after it was so relaxing! We enjoyed this trip greatly 😉

(bonus! we lost our directions for a few times but with the help our memory from the tour, we managed to get to the right places hehe)

Before we headed to Katong/Joo Chiat, we decided to plan on the main destination for our interview.

Destinations:

• (Original Plan) KIM CHOO KUEH CHANG
  Address: 111 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428801

Background information about it: (taken from https://ordinarypatrons.com/2018/06/13/kim-choo-kueh-chang/)
Not many family businesses survive into the third generation, but the owners of Kim Choo Kueh Chang, a traditional rice dumpling and snacks specialist, have beaten the odds to continue the legacy.

Kim Choo Kueh Chang has been operating out of a shophouse in Joo Chiat since 1945.  It is most famous for its Nyonya Rice Dumpling (or Nyonya chang) and Traditional Salty Dumpling (or bak chang) but it also has a wide range of Nyonya kuehs, cookies and other snacks. Kim Choo Kueh Chang may also be the subject of another food feud in the East – like the Katong Laksa saga and the mee pok war.

It all started with Ms Lee Kim Choo, who first sold Nyonya (Straits-Chinese Peranakan women) rice dumplings under a banyak tree along Joo Chiat Place. Her eldest son, took over the business and helped her. Now, her grandson is continuing the family’s legacy.

2 days before the learning journey (Tuesday, 22 May), we called the Kim Choo Kueh Chang branch, requesting for an interview at 1.15pm on the day of our learning journey, Thursday 24 May. At first, we had called the branch we intended to visit (the one at East Coast Road), but the staff there referred us to the main branch (the one at Joo Chiat PI). After calling the main branch, the staff member told us that they had to check if they were available for an interview at that time, ending the conversation by saying that they would call back.

However, our group member, Xin Ying, waited for the rest of the day, but the staff did not call back, and neither did they do so the next day. We were confused and latr decided to head down and request an interview on the spot on Thursday instead.

On Thursday, after our tour around Joo Chiat, we were told by the tour guide that the boss of Kim Choo Kueh Chang was not around. We finally decided to change our plans.

• Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff
  Address: 220 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428917

Background information: (taken from https://sethlui.com/soon-soon-huat-curry-puff-singapore/)
Hidden in a corner along East Coast Road, Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff prides itself as one of Singapore’s pioneer curry puff makers.

Previously located at Blk 1A Eunos Crescent and formerly known as ‘1A Crispy Curry Puff’, the owners of Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff have been in the pastry industry for nearly three decades.  

Every working day, the mother-daughter duo, 38-year-old Tay Mui Lan and 60-year-old Ow Siew Kheng, arrive early to prepare the ingredients and hand-make the curry puffs from scratch.

Mui Lan, who resigned from her previous job as a secretary, took over the family business in 2009 after hearing how her mother wanted to close shop.

When Mui Lan knew that her mother wanted to give up the business, she felt that she had to do something as it would be a pity because they would not able to continue spreading her grandmother’s love for making traditional food.

The recipe for the curry puffs is the brainchild of Mei Lan’s late grandmother, Lim Sai Hiong (known as Tae Kae Ma, which means ‘grandma boss’ in hokkien, who founded the original store in Eunos Crescent in 1992, starting the business as a form of livelihood.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
1. How did the business start?

2. What made you interested in taking over the business?

3. Do you think it’s important to carry on the tradition? Why do you think so?

4. What do you think of the future of traditional food with the increasing number of people preferring fast food? Why do you think so?

5. What are your feelings as your third generation of this family business?

6. Do you recommend the younger generation to continue this business? Why?

7. Could you explain to us of your understanding of this family business?

• 328 Katong laksa
  Address: 216 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428914

Background information: (taken from http://thehungrygeek.com/2016/01/27/328-katong-laksa-twin-titans/)
Back in 2013, SingTel organised the Hawker Heroes Challenge pitting the best hawker food in Singapore against Mr Gordon Ramsay, the famous Michelin-starred celebrity chef from the UK. The public poll selected chicken rice, chilli crab and laksa as the representative dishes of the Singpapore hawker culture. 328 Katong Laksa was shortlisted as the laksa representative. Mr Ramsay was given two days to master all three dishes as he learnt their preparation techniques from the local hawker masters.

Under the laksa category, 328 Katong laksa had 59.5% of all the votes, winning Gordon Ramsay in that particular category.

What sets Katong laksa apart from others is how you would only require a single spoon to eat it! The noodles are cut into small pieces so that we would be able to eat it easier. If the noodles are not spicy enough for you, don’t worry! A packet of extra chilli is provided, with 2 packets the maximum you can take.

As you can imagine, this is one of the best two laksas in Singapore. Honestly it is not even close. The key to making this delicious laksa is in the gravy’s coconut milk balance, and the folks over at 328 Katong Laksa have got it down to perfection. This concoction is so good and difficult to make that even Gordan Ramsay was not able to match it. On your first mouthful the laksa fragrance is overwhelming and delicious. The noodles are al dente and the ingredients are fresh, the taste is just perfect.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
1. 为什么你要卖叻沙？

2. 你认为土生华人的文化应该保留吗？

3. 你会建议新的一代继续你的生意吗？

4. 你在这个工作做了几年？

5. 你认为土生华人的文化会慢慢的消失吗？

That’s all for our interview questions! 🙂